Her Favorite Lullaby
by Jojo64
Summary: Madcap mayhem and a simple little hymn bring memories of joy and memories of pain back to Etna. Witness her story as she recounts to Flonne a quirky little look into her lifestory, as a petty common thief becomes one of the best known vassals in history..
1. Madhouse Memorabilia

**Her Favorite Lullaby**  
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**Author's Note of Introduction:** _Hey, y'all! After years in hiatus, I'm finally back! And yes...I haven't rewritten that last story I wrote yet, I know (for those that don't remember...well, that's probably all of you, but anyway, it's "Voice from the Past," a story that was on its way to completion had my hard drive not fubared itself). I've decided to leave it as is, because my memory of how the story was supposed to go (as well as the various notes and outlines I created) were all either changed or deleted throughout the years, so until I remember or create a suitable storyline for it, I'll leave it as an unfinished project fic. But rest assured, I WILL finish this one (and in the meantime, try to wrap up the bits and pieces of the last one)! Disgaea has become one of my favorite games ever, and I'll be damned if I don't finish this one._

However, this is only a teaser chapter...I want to see if people find the content interesting enough to read. If so, I'll definitely get a move on writing the next few chapters...I've already gotten the outline and plot sequences done on it. So please R&R! I beg of you! bow

Anyway, this starting chapter takes place a couple of years after the Celestian Incident, as most Disgaean players will remember. However, the meat of the story, the next chapters, mainly, take place in Etna's past. I hope to tie in some of the serious, unanswered plot points of the story and expand them, as well as provide some more in-depth info on Etna's background...while still keeping some of the quirky humor Disgaea had. Although I doubt I'll be able to...my take on humor's very juvenile. Anyway, enough of my long-winded rantings. Enjoy!

...And if you got this far down reading my Author's Note, I thank you sincerely from the bottom of my heart. Now...onwards!

Oh...wait. By the way, if this chapter looks different, it is. Apparently, the rough, .txt draft went through instead of the final, .doc draft. Bummer. Now...onwards!

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**Chapter 1: Madhouse Memorabilia**

"...And so, another day begins in this madhouse. Still...I have to admit, it's pretty quiet for this time of day—"

"I'll get you, you pretzel-popping penguin, you!!"

"DOOD! IT WAS A MISTAKE, DOOD! DOOOOOD!!!!!!"

"...Hrmph. Forget I said anything. Anyway, time to save the day again, my way as usual! Heh heh heh..."

Etna finished writing the last entry of her diary and sneaked out of her secret chamber from the dark bowels of the main hallway of the Overlord's castle, only to have a frazzled Prinny collide into her head-on. Disoriented and annoyed, mostly due to the freezing stone-cold floor on her bare skin (which there was plenty of, especially with her revealing attire from Succubi Sweeties, Thankstaking Issue), Etna stood herself up and death-stared at the Prinny, who quite literally seemed to be at the point of exploding.  
  
"Miss Etna, dood! Help me! The Prince is going nuts, dood!" the Prinny babbled, a terrified look streaking the poor penguin's face as it turned to see its raging pursuer dash ever so closer to mauling the Hell out of it.

"I TOLD YOU, STOP CALLING ME PRINCE! I'M GONNA BEAT YOU DOUBLE FOR THAT!" Prince- er, King Laharl screamed as he gained some more ground towards the Prinny, a spiked club in his hands.

"Dood!! Miss Etna, help me, dood!!! Gya, DOOOOD!!!" the Prinny screamed as Laharl caught up at last and began a swinging frenzy, missing horribly but scaring the Prinny out of its wits nonetheless. "THIS'LL TEACH YOU FOR YOUR PRETZEL-SNATCHING!"

Etna sighed. It was way too early for her to deal with this kind of a problem...the kind so stupid even she had to pause at the utter idiocy of it all. Still...she could have her fun...

"Hey, Prinny."

"Y-yeah, dood?!" the Prinny managed to say before ducking another fatal blow. 

"Go down that corridor. You'll be able to escape there." Etna said, pointing out a dark hallway.

"But-WHOA, DOOD!" The Prinny dodged another blow. "Isn't that...DOOD...a dead-DOOD!-end, dood?" the Prinny squealed, as the Prince continued his clubbing.

"Nah. It's...a secret passage! Yeah, it only opens to Prinny Squad members! Just run towards the wall, the Prince will never be able to get you there!" Etna grinned, flashing her pearly whites, knowing full well that at the end was a concrete wall almost as hard as the Pri- er, King's head.

"Stop calling me Prince! It's KING!" Laharl yelled as he missed yet again.

"O-okay, dood! Doooood!!" the Prinny cried as it ran full on away from misery and towards impending doom.

"E-Etna! Stop helping that traitor! COME BACK HEEEEeeeerre.....!!" Laharl's voice faded as he ran after the fugitive Prinny.

Etna whistled a quirky little tune as she headed towards the Overlord's Throne Room. Fallen Angel Flonne was inside waiting for her, looking lost – well, more lost than usual.

"Etna, have you seen Laharl and a Prinny anywhere? I could swear they were here a moment ago-"

BOOM. Suddenly, the castle shook with a stomach-wrenching ferocity. From the main halls, one could hear the faint, agonized cries of two individuals being drowned out by an ear-splitting explosion.

"Flonne, after all that, do you really need to ask?" Etna grinned – her plan worked. Although Prinnies rarely exploded by merely running into an object, an excitable Prinny running faster than whatever the god intended it to would ignite like a hot Molotov over an open-fire grill. Simply put, Laharl and the Prinny were charcoal for the time being. The thought of it brought giggles to the little devil in Etna.

"Hey, another earthquake! Boy, things sure have gotten fun since those outsiders came!" Manty the Manticore grinned, walking out of the room to find the source of the commotion. Like the rest of the vassals, rare, life-threatening events like explosions, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, invasions from little green men from the Stellar Graveyard, and etc. proved very fun to the winged lion.

Flonne sighed. "Oh...I was going to tell Laharl that I gave the last black pretzel to the Prinny, since it helped me so well with cleaning up the mess hall. There was only one pretzel in the bag, so I didn't think Laharl would mind...you don't think he got mad at the Prinny, do you?"

"Oh, I'm sure they're fiiine, just fi-," Etna paused. "Wait. You and the Prinny cleaned the mess hall? Is that even possible?" In the Netherworld, some names were taken quite literally, the mess hall being one of them. Demons, after all, weren't known for well-bred mannerisms. Not to mention the fact that the mess hall was a 24-hour dine-in.

"Yup. I just told the demons there that if they left and came back later, I'd promise to give them something good. Gee, I didn't know my love lessons were so popular!" Flonne smiled, thinking of how happy the demons would be when they received their gifts.

Etna smacked her head. Unlike most demon girls, it didn't register to Flonne that most of her success with the demons came from the fact that the Seraph had given her some very sexy (not to mention leggy, another of Flonne's physical strengths) attire when he 'banished' her to the Netherworld. Her bunny-ear style headband and robed-bikini top were the envy and talk of the Netherworld, and her legs gleamed from her robe so noticeably that even the King was wary to be too close around Flonne, lest he mysteriously weaken and cover up his midsection as if sick.

'Sick...right. Maybe that blondie Jennifer DID leave a mark on 'Harlie,' Etna smirked, referring to her buxom bosoms-with-brains comrade of years ago.

Luckily...or unluckily, if you looked at it in another light, the Seraph let her keep her sense of naivete, though Etna still wondered where he got the idea for those clothes...even she was starting to believe his stories of there being no absolute good or evil.

'The Seraph's worse than I give him credit for..." thought Etna. "Good job, Seraph. Probably part of his plan to get Flonne and the Prince to tie the knot... heh heh heh.'

Pondering this as well as other unmentionables, Etna took a seat on the throne and began whistling a tune, with Flonne knitting something on the step in front of it. After a few notes, Flonne found herself whistling the same tune as well. She turned to face Etna.

"Hey Etna? Etna?" 

"Yeah, concubi-I mean, F-Flonne?" Etna stuttered, her mind clearly on something else.

"What's that tune you're singing?" Flonne asked, not hearing the first part of Etna's question.

"Oh, this tune? Just a lullaby," Etna said, whistling again. She hoped Flonne wouldn't dig any deeper.

"Wow, really? Where'd you get it from?" Flonne said, not taking Etna for the lullaby type.

"Long story. Don't feel like mentioning it. Don't bother asking," Etna sighed, whistling again.

She closed her eyes. Her euphoria from getting revenge on the Prince and Prinny was fading, and she didn't like remembering the story behind the song, especially when she wasn't in a happy state. Even in a positive mood, she refrained from talking or even reminiscing about the history behind that song. It was too much of a damper for a fun-loving girl like her.

Yet she couldn't help but do so. Today had stirred some more dormant memories inside her. A false crime. Pretzel-snatching. 'Helping' the Prinny. Tricking the Prince. The Manticore. Another unlikely match-up between two people of different worlds...

Etna opened her eyes, which were unusually moist. Flonne was still sitting on the step, pouting about another secret Etna kept from her. Since years back, when Flonne was 'punished' to become a Fallen Angel, she and Etna became ever-fast friends, often regarding each other as sisters, though Flonne was much more open about it than Etna would ever admit. Still, despite all the things they talked about, Etna would always hold back certain things, things that pained her heart just from the very memory of them. They hurt worse especially after Maderas' brainwashing. Still...it surely couldn't do anymore harm to her if she told someone. The god knew she'd kept it in long enough...besides, Flonne used to be an angel. She wouldn't mock her...

"...Hey. Hey Flonne...?"

And then the memories poured in. All leading to that sad little lullaby...Laharl's Hymn...

How funny that a simple little song could bring such memories back to her.

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_**Author's Footnote: **Thanks for reading...please R&R, constructive criticism most appreciated! #bow#_

_Hopefully, I'll have the next chapters done week by week, should everything go to plan._

_  
And everyone: Thank you for your reviews!_


	2. Cunning Thief! The Adventure of Magical ...

**Her Favorite Lullaby**

**Writer's Log:** _Hehe, hey everyone, I'm back. I am absolutely sorry to anyone who's been waiting for this story to update...let's just say work and college isn't a good combination. Luckily, I'm going to be going to school full time instead of work and school, so I should have more time to work on the story...I'm going to have to update every two weeks instead though. Sorry about that...anyway, on to the next chapter!_

_By the way, this is only part one...Chapter two deemed too large to write as a single entity. O.X _

**Chapter 2, part 1: Cunning Thief! The Adventure of Magical Little Girl Etna Begins!**

"Get her!"

"Stop, thief! Not you, HER! STOP!!"

"I swear, when I get my tentacles on you...!"

A little, redheaded demon girl with a small bag clutched in her hands raced through the Dark Marketplace, not daring to stop or even look back for anything, for chasing close behind was certain doom. Marketplace guards may have been stupid and easy to take care of one by one, but they were as persistent and brutal as they were ugly little bastards, and unfortunately, they had hundreds in their number. And even worse, most of those hundreds were dead set on that scampering little thief, each one hoping to get their hands on her for the trouble she caused them. Some had even darker, dastardly motives for wanting to catch her, motives that cannot be written lest you wrench your ears and wish this author death for writing such things about acts done towards little girls.

Demons did swim in sin, after all. The ugly male ones with writhing tentacles, especially.

Wasn't much of a chance for any lone, normal girl to make it through alive...however, this little demon girl was neither normal nor alone. As she passed the final market cart and reached the Marketplace boundary gate, which was locked in advance of her theft, a dark figure flew over the wall with a flip, landing neatly between the girl and her pursuers.

"Etna, you have the item?" he asked with a very heavy, cultured accent, looking back at our mini-heroine.

"Right here, M! Catch!" Etna shouted, lobbing the item as hard as she could over the demon known as M's head.

For a moment, it looked as if the bag would return to the sweaty hands of the Marketplace guards, but suddenly, there was a great popping sound and M disappeared, a whole swarm of bats appearing in his place. With the guards in shock and with no warning, the bats suddenly zoomed towards the item and grabbed it, flying towards the direction where Etna came from like...well, like bats flying out of Hell. The squadron of guards, still awestruck, took one look at Etna, who was grinning her trademark devilish smile, and back at M's transformation, and chased it instead, in hopes of getting their precious item back. However...

"Hehehehehe...you're all ours, little girl, and Mr. Vampire guy isn't here to save you!" screeched one of the four ugly tentacle dudes, rubbing his tentacles with glee at the sight of his prey. "You took us for fools...now...where should we penetrate first...?"

Blech.

"Um, excuse me, but I'm not a little girl, I don't need to be saved, and you guys _are_ idiots. Looky looky!" Etna grinned, taking out something from behind her and throwing it up with playful ease. The guards were stunned; it was the item that was supposedly inside the bag M had: a severed mummified head. With the head still in the air, Etna continued, "By the way..."

As the head dropped on the grass, a sickening squelch could be heard in the direction of the main tentacled-demon who spoke first, followed by a restrained squeal. The three other demons turned to look towards him.

"Looks like you get the first penetration!" Etna said, a mischievous look on her face. In front of her was the demon; in her hands was a spear, the sharp end of which was pushed rather firmly into the only hole the demon's tentacles never dared to touch. The demon, with teeth gnashed, eyes tearing, and a strange, high-pitched sound escaping his lips, he collapsed bent over, the spear still sticking out of his rear end.

"And look, since you like holes so much, I'll rip you a new one!" Etna said in reply to his gagged squealing. She turned her hands over the perimeter of the spear handle and with a firm, twisting motion...

"Ge-GYYAAAAAAAAAHHH!!" The other demons looked away as their fellow demon squealed, disgusted yet awed by the vile brilliance of it all. The girl moved with almost ninja-like speed, and the utter depravity of sticking a sharp spear up someone's rear end and _twisting_...even they had their limits. As they turned to look back at their fallen comrade, they were even more horrified to see her _sitting_ on the spear as an insult to injury, with her smiling and giggling like an innocent little girl while the poor demon behind her screamed bloody murder. Truly, there was no scarier sight than that; the three demons had enough and ran away, not caring about the punishment they would receive for not retrieving the head.

This would be the last time they'd ever have impure thoughts of little schoolgirls.

"Morons," Etna said under her breath, her wide grin reduced to a small, evil-looking smile in her face. She pulled the spear out of the fallen demon, who yelped in pain, and looked at the spear, disgusted by the mess that was left on it. "You owe me a new spear!" Etna pouted, shoving the spear back in again, a louder squeal being his only reply. Taking out a camera from her pocket, she pranced towards the front of the demon, and as she said, "Say Cheese!" she snapped a shot for her Portfolio of Memories...this would serve to amuse her for quite some time. She jumped effortlessly over the wall, and started on her way home, the Netherworld sun starting to set behind her.

The poor demon never got that spear out.

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"Perfect. Absolutely perfect."

"So, if we pawn that, we won't have to starve anymore, right?"  
  
"Y-yes...maybe. But you do have to understand of course...not all Legendary items sell for very much, especially if they're stolen. There's bound to be a bounty on this particular one...not many demons are villing for such a risk. But, I shall see what I can do. _Ciao, bella_."

The vampiric form of M vanished once again into a miasma of bats flying out into the dark night sky, carrying their prize to be sold in the streets of the Netherwold. Etna sighed, sitting against the wall of their shabby hideout. It wasn't much, just an abandoned, dusty tower that no one cared for, but she didn't mind. It was her home...the only place she ever belonged to. The only place she'd ever known.

"Man...I hope we get a good haul today. I'm starving..." Etna said to herself. It was funny...for every rare and valuable item they stole, M and Etna never seemed to get very much for them. And since both received equal shares, it wouldn't be very long before they'd need to steal another item to survive. A strange recurring thought came to Etna again, 'Either Maderas is a really bad salesman, or something fishy's going on.' But she shook the thought away: she couldn't bear to think about that about M. Especially not after...

Etna tensed. There was something in the room. And it wanted to come after her...  
"Grah!" growled a dark shape as it pounced on Etna.  
"Oomf! Runty!"

Etna found herself on her back with a lion-like beast on top of her, but she relaxed. It was only her faithful pet and companion, Runty, a small, non-sentient Manticore. Like most demons in the Netherworld, Manticores came in two varieties, wild and sentient. Sentient Manticores were just as smart as humanoids, but wild ones usually were crazed, bloodthirsty hunters. This one, however, was too small to take on even a Prinny, and had Etna not taken it in when she did, Runti would have died a miserable death on the cold streets of the Netherworld.

She stroked the small Manticore on its mane, and closed her eyes, contemplating. Looking back, she never had any reason to take in the thing. It was small, abandoned, probably of no use to anyone...but it reminded her of her past. From what little she could remember, she too was alone and abandoned, at least according to M. Her nightmares at night of being lost, lonely, and afraid certainly seemed to prove it. M took her in, found her an adequate (though dusty) shelter, and trained her to be the cunning fighter and thief she was today. She owed herself to him, she knew, and she couldn't repay him by being suspicious of him. Even if she was his main tool to success in their crime sprees, she still owed him her life, one of the few pacts even demons took a solemn vow to protect.

Though, she had to admit, she didn't know very much about him...only that he lived elsewhere, because he preferred his 'solitude,' and that M wasn't his real name at all (how could it be? It was almost as stupid as a name like 'Z'). She also always wondered why her parents abandoned her...it wasn't a very common practice to abandon children, even if some demons were vile and disgusting scum. Even still, children with those kind of demonic parents would be kept as slaves to prevent being wasted...  
  
"Etna! I'm back! You vill not believe vhat I have found!"

It was M, with an unusual accent of excitement in his voice. They probably got a good haul this time... 

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_Writer's End: Hope you enjoyed Chapter 2, part 1! Part 2 is coming soon!_

_By the way, anyone who gets this reference to 'Z' and 'vile brilliance' gets a cookie. :-3_


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